Steering apparatus for motor-driven vehicles



June 18, 1929. J ARMSTRQNG 1,717,598

STEERING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES Filed July 19, 1924 s sheets-sheet 1 J n 8, 1929; E. J. ARMSTRONG STEERING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR DRIVEN ,VEHICLE Filed guly 19 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet k 9% MW w & k w M w R .Q Q R v 4% v N Q Q mm mm m 7 .w\ o .w\ o a p b w :5: Q kw \w w 0 Q m Q N? a k m o 0 0 W QR w DW E R w mm mm & v N

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June 18, 1929. E. J. ARMSTRONG STEERING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VEHICLES Filed July 19, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet.

Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED'STATES PATEN orrics. 1

EDWIN 'J. ARMSTRONG, or ERIE, :rENNsYnv NI 'ASSIGNOR, BY Mnsnn AssIGN- nnn'rs, T BUCYRUS-ERIE COMPANY, or scorn MI AUKEE; WISCONSIN, A 003- PORATION OF DELAWARE] STEERING APPARATUS FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN VEHICLES.

. Application filed July 19, 1924. Serial No. 723,949.

The invention involves improvements in apparatus I having revolving platforms mounted. on a carriage provided withcontinuous or endless tracks. It is desirable to steer. such apparatus by turning the platform. Thusthe usual boom can be swung to the direction in which it is desired to go and the turning engine which is a part of the apparatus may be utilized for throwing the steering apparatus.

It is desirable to provide a mechanism whereby th1s steering apparatus may be thrown into action or coupled with the table from the platformitself. It is also desirable to deflect a por tion of the supports forthe endless track so that the load will be'carried by a portion of the track and thusreduce the turning'ellort.

Other features .and'de'tails will appearfrom the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings aslfollows F ig. l shows plan viewaof the'device partly in section. V

Fig. 2 a side elevation partlyo in section on the line-22;in Fig.1. Y

the line 33.in Fig.-1.

Fig. 4 a section on the line t lin Fig. 3. Fig. 5 a section on the line in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 a side elevation iwithslight. details in section. -I I.

Fig. ,7 a section on the line 7-,7 in Fig. 1.

F ig. 8 a section on the line 8 8-in Fig. 6.

Fig. '9 a detail view of the operating foot lever showing it in the position assumed when out of use. i i

1 marks theframeandQ the turn table.

This turn table is provided'with the usual Fig. 3 an end view, partly in section, on

operating machlnery, as for example steam shovels and revolving cranes.

have not been shown as they are well under-, stood. I platform and imeshes with .agear 4. The gear 4 is fixed on' a shaft 5. A pinion 6 is also fixed on this shaft and meshes. with a frame gear 7 by means of which the table is swung. 1

Rear axles 8 extend each; side from the These parts;

A turning gear 3iis drivenfrom the center and are carried bybearings 9 in the frame. Gears 10 are mounted on the axles 8 and meshwith gears ll on drive shafts 12..

The shafts 12 are journaledin bearings 13 and these hearings are arranged n extensions 15 on a clutch sleeve 14. The ext-ens in bearings 27 sions 15 are journaled in bearings 16 carried by the frame. The inner ends ofthe shafts 12 are carried in thrust bearings 17 in clutch plates 17- ;A beveled gear 18 is fixed on the clutch sleeve 14 and meshes with a beveled pinion 19. The beveled pinion mounted on, a shaft 20 journaled in bearings I 20 extendingfromthe frame, .A beveled with a gear '22.; The gear 22 isfixed on a shaft 23 extendingupwardly through the center of the table andis drivenifroii'rinechanisni (not shown) on the turntable. The traction effort of the machine is delivered from the shaft23 to the axles,8.

Drive sprocket wheels 24 are fixed on axles 8 and'the continuous tracks25 are} driven by these sprockets. The jforr 'ard' ends of I the tracks. extend over -idling the 3 gear 21 is fixed on theshaft 20 andmeshes sprockets 26 arranged on shafts 27 carried, '7

shafts 12. These plates are alternatingsoj that when pressure is put on the :end of the series all the plates opera'te in theordinary.

manner 1ofu multiple' disc clutches." The clutch plates 17 operate against the clutch forced into engagement by springs 37 which extend between the plates 17. 1 I

"In steering themachine itis desirable to break the drivin connectionofthe track at one side andat the same time lock the track at the same side, against movement. This is accomplished in the present invention as follows The shafts 12 have the extensions 38 outside the gears 11 and these form thrust bearings withfriction(plates 39. {The fric-i tion plates have" projections 40 which extend into notches 41 in the. frame and thus are locked against turning; LBVGITSQQ extend into sockets 43 in theframe and aregadjustable in the socket by meansof screws 44..

These levers have pockets which house or extend over a portion of the plates39 so as'to discs and the flclutch discs are normally A retainthem in place. The upper ends of the levers are connected by. links with a slid ing. head 46. The head extends through a slot 47 inthe frame having guiding flanges '48 which rest on the frame. The locking head is provided with a locking notch 49 which is adaptedto receive a latch 50. The latch is carried by aztrunnion 51 having bearing extensions 52 journaled in bearings 53 on the turn table. .The head 46 has slanting surfaces 54 leading to the notch 49 so as to lift the latch and guide it to position at the notch.

The latch is thrown into and out of operative position by the following mechanism i A lever 55 extends from the trunnion 51. It

is provided with a pin 56 which extends into 7 a slot 57 0f a lever 58. The lever 58 is fixed on a shaft 59. Thefshaft 59 is journaled in bearings 60 onthe platform. A lever 61 is I The lever 61 isconnected by a link 64 with a lever 65. The lever 65 is'fixed on a shaft 6 66 journaled in bearings 67 extending from the platform." A; foot lever 68 is fixed on theshaft 66rand extends through the platform in position toybe operated by the foot from the platform." A lever 69 is opposed to the lever 68. A push .pin 69 extends A through an opening 69 in the lever into a socket 69 when the leveris in operation. A

lever 7 0 extends from the shaft 59 and a link 71 connects this lever with a spring 72 anchored at 7 3 on the platform. The lever 7l is so positioned withrelation to the shaft 59 and the spring--72 thatthe line of force of the spring is swung to opposite sides of the axis ofthe shaft 59 as the levers 68 and 69 are operatedso that when the foot lever isforced' downwardly the lever. as it moves over the center issnapped upby' the spring 72 and held in the position until reversed a In the operation of by pressure' on the push pin 69 Thus the" latch 50 may. be" thrown into position to catch in'the' notch, or thrown out of this position from the platform the foot of the operator. In order to prevent'the latch dropping below the guiding surfaces 54 av hook 774 is arranged under the lever 58 and an adjusting screw provided means of which the height of the latch may be adjusted. The .hook'also has a stop 7 6 which is adapted-to engag'ethe lever 58 and limit its upward movement. I V l the device when the latch catches with the notch and is subjected to the turning pressure from the turning platform the pressure is delivered through the-link 45,'lever 42 to the shaft 12 at one end and this operating against the thrust plate 17 relievesthe friction discs atone side ofthe pressureof the springs 37 thus breaking the driving connection at this side of the machine; At thesame time the friction plate 39 is forced into frictional engagement with the gear ll' and the gear 11' forced into frictional engagement with the side of the bearing 13, thus resisting or braking the movement of the tracks at the side of the machine which has had its driving connection broken. The frame 28 can be slightly tilted so as to reduce. the effective length of the track so as to simplify and reduce the steering effort. The front end of the track is elevated in Fig. 2. The rear end of "the frame 28 has a hook 77 which engages a flange 77 on the frame and is locked in position by a thrust bar 78 operated upon by a thrust screw 79. The forward end has a socket 80in which asocket head 81 is arranged and a pin 82 is locked with the socket head and extends through an eccentric bushing 83, the bushing being journaled in an opening 84 in the frame. The eccentric bushing is provided with a spring-actuated lockingpin 85' adapted to extend into locking openings 86 in-the frame.- Thus by swinging the bushing the eccentric may be swung upwardly or downwardly thus lifting or lowering the forward end of the frame 28. Openings 87 are provided in the periphery of the outer endof the bushing into which a bar maybe inserted for facilitating the turning movement of the bushing.

WVhat I claim as new is y 1. In a steering apparatus for motor-driven vehicles, the combination of a-frame; a turn table on the frame; endless tracks at each side of the frame supporting the frame; driving mechanism for'the tracks; devices actuated" by the turning of the table controlling the' mechanism; and spring-actu-.

ated means operable on the table controlling said devices, said means yielding and holding the devices in or out of operative position as actuated. v

2. In a steering apparatus for motordriven vehicles, thecombination of a frame;

a turn table on the frame; endless'tracks' at each side of the frame supporting the frame; driving mechanism for the. tracks;

devices actuated by the turning of the table controlling the mechanism; and spring-actuated footoperable means on the table, said means yielding and holding the devices in or out'of operative position asactuated.

3.,In a steering apparatus for motordriven vehicles, the combination of a frame; a turn table'on the frame; endless tracks at each side of the frame supportingthe frame; driving mechanismfor the tracks;

vi t t d by the tur'ningof the table controlling the mechanism and spring-actuated means operable on the table controlling said devices, sa d spr ng-actuated means comprising a lever, and a spring operating on the lever With its line of force crossing the axis of the lever as it is swungwhereby the lever and the means are yieldingly held in or out of operative position. i

4. In a steering apparatus for motor Vehicles, the combination of a frame; a turn table on the frame; endless tracks at each side of the fi'ame supporting the frame; a driving mechanism for the tracks comprising friction clutches, one for each track; springs normally holding said friction clutches in engagement; and devices actuated by the turn table and acting upon the springs as the turn table is swung to release one or the other of said clutches from the pressure of the springs to break the driving connection at one, or the other side of the Vehicle, said springs holding the clutches in engagement when released "from the forces of the table and acting as a buffer for the table as they are actuated by the table to release the clutches.

5. In a steering apparatus for motor vehicles, the combination of afranie; aturn table on theirame; endless tracks at each side of thefralne supporting the frame a driving mechanism for the tracks comprising friction clutches; one for each track; springs normally holding Silltl traction of the springs to break the driving connection'at one, or the other side of the vehicle, said springs holding the clutches in engagea inent when released from the force of the table and acting asa buffer for the table" as they are actuated by the table to release the clutches; and means actuated by a continued movement of the turn table after releasing; the clutch frictionally retarding the track at the side released.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWIN J. ARMSTRONG. 

